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Tag: Cricket

  • GUEST COLUMN: The future of Fantasy Sports Market in India

    GUEST COLUMN: The future of Fantasy Sports Market in India

    Mumbai: India has been a sports-loving nation. With Cricket, Football, and Kabaddi as the most sought-after sports, we’ve got thousands across the country who’d swear on their love for a good game. This has been one of the reasons for the emergence of fantasy sports in India. It gives the sports enthusiasts a chance to draft their teams with the best of players.

    Going to a sports match or sitting glued to the TV is something that every sports enthusiast in the country has done. Moreover, every fan has a set of opinions or expertise in the game. That’s where Fantasy Sports steps in. It gives the users the excitement of real-time action, a first-hand thrill of participating in future tournaments, and cash rewards if they win.

    With the increasing popularity of fantasy gaming leagues and frequent contests, fantasy sports enthusiasts are growing by the day. The number of fans capitalising on their sports knowledge has gone up 25X in the last ten years, and more potential players are waiting to join the trend.

    Along with a massive craze for sports, digitalisation is another factor that resulted in the emergence of fantasy sports platforms. More tech-savvy millennials in India are participating in fantasy sports tournaments. In fact, the past decade has witnessed a growth of around 700 per cent in the fantasy sports market.

    The online fantasy gaming platforms have allowed a massive chunk of sports aficionados to use their understanding of the game and play their role in online fantasy sports events. While the Cricket-frenzy in the Indian audience is well known, these platforms allow the users to explore other segments. With the introduction of new-age strategies in Fantasy Cricket, most platforms have seen a massive engagement of enthusiasts, with them becoming a part of the Indian T20 League and other tournaments. These platforms have started catering to a large audience, and are now expanding their offerings to league sports, even for Football, Kabaddi, and Basketball. Establishing a link between technology and the sports ecosystem, users can now be a part of multiple sporting events. The shift has been received well by sports enthusiasts increasing engagement in real-time sports that need attention.

    Currently, over 20 million people play fantasy games in India, and the number is estimated to reach 150 million by 2022. With so many people turning to fantasy sports, the market segment is expected to accelerate in the coming years. One of the reasons for the massive participation is the user-friendly fantasy gaming applications and increased internet penetration across the country. Besides gaining traction amongst the community keen on sports, the sector has seen large revenue growths too. In 2020, the industry generated a revenue of $3.4 million. In fact, the fantasy sports segment is estimated to reach $ 3.7 billion by the year 2024.

    With the potential of growth, fantasy sports platforms in India follow specific guidelines and principles as a part of the ‘game of skill’ category. It involves strategy, understanding, expertise, and knowledge by the participants. As a rapidly growing tech-driven industry, the market segment attracts a substantial number of investors. A report by NITI Aayog approximates that the fantasy sports industry has the potential to attract FDI of more than Rs 10,000 crore over the next few years.

    The sports ecosystem has seen a massive shift with the ongoing digitisation. The increase in the use of smartphones has enabled most sports enthusiasts to enjoy the thrill and excitement of sporting tournaments with fantasy sports. While increasing the knowledge of multiple sporting events, fantasy gaming platforms have witnessed a hiked participation in fantasy sports leagues and contests related to Cricket, Football, and Kabaddi, to name a few.

    Besides this, with a massive population of sports enthusiasts, surging demand in fantasy sports, and ever-evolving advancements in technology, India is set to grow rapidly in the online fantasy sports segment.

    (Amit Purohit is the founder of Fantasy Akhada. The views expressed in the column are personal and Indiantelevision.com may not subscribe to them.)

  • Somany Ceramics launches marketing campaign with Ind vs NZ series

    Somany Ceramics launches marketing campaign with Ind vs NZ series

    Mumbai: Somany Ceramics Ltd has started its marketing campaign by collaborating for on-ground advertising for T20 and test series between India and New Zealand starting from 17 November till 7 December.

    As a part of the association, the brand will have its presence during all the matches of the T20 series on 17, 19, and 21 November respectively and two matches of test series from 25-29 November and 3-7 December.

    The brand Somany will be displayed at perimeter boards, sight screens, and upper-tier while the airing of three T20 matches and two test matches, said the company in a statement.

    “Cricket has the power of connecting people across all varied sets and our on-ground advertising will help the brand reach a larger section of the audience,” said Somany Ceramics brand custodian Minal Somany. “These initiatives will help in establishing us as a leader and will further cement the brand in the hearts and minds of our consumers.”

  • CVC Capital Partners, RPSG Group win bids to own two new IPL teams

    CVC Capital Partners, RPSG Group win bids to own two new IPL teams

    Mumbai : Kolkata-based business tycoon Sanjiv Goenka’s RPSG Group has won the bid for Lucknow franchise for a whopping Rs 7090 crore while international equity investment firm CVC Capital won the bid for Ahmedabad with a Rs 5600 crore offer, as the much-awaited IPL bidding took place in Dubai on Monday.

    The T20 cricketing extravaganza will now witness ten teams competing for the coveted trophy when the league enters its 15th season next year. The two new teams will be from Lucknow and Ahmedabad.

    The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) earned a whooping Rs 12,690 crore from the two new franchises. “We’re extremely happy that Indian cricket is growing forward. That is what is important for us. We look at Indian cricket and that’s what our job is. The more Indian cricket prosperous, the better it is,” BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said.

    Goenka Group has been in the IPL for two years in 2016 and 2017 when he owned the Rising Pune Supergiants.

    “Yes, RPSG had the highest bid while CVC had the second-highest bid at Rs 5600 crore. The BCCI stand to earn around $ 1. 70 billion from the deal,” reported PTI citing a senior BCCI source.

    The Governing Council of the IPL had issued the ‘Invitation to Tender’ (“ITT”) document available on payment of the non-refundable tender fees on 31 August. But BCCI had later decided to extend the date for purchasing the ITT document till 10 October.

    As many as 22 companies had picked up tender documents worth Rs 10 lakh when the BCCI opened the process this year. But with base price for new teams pegged at Rs 2000 crore, only five to six serious bidders entered the fray.

  • Saurav Ganguly & VVS Laxman team up for My11Circle’s T20 World Cup campaign

    Saurav Ganguly & VVS Laxman team up for My11Circle’s T20 World Cup campaign

    Mumbai: Multi-game platform Games24x7 that owns fantasy sports platform My11Circle has launched a mass media campaign for its T20 World Cup fans.

    The new campaign launched on Sunday is called ‘Game Ke Deewane’ and celebrates the fervour of cricket fans. And in order to laud their winning spirit, whenever Team India wins a match, the player gets to win double the prize in the fantasy game.

    Games24X7 director-brand and marketing strategy Avik Das Kanungo said, “We set out to give a tribute to the game of cricket, celebrating the passion of Indian cricket lovers, and the campaign captures the sentiment extremely evocatively. We’re delighted with the initial response from all quarters, and are glad that cricket fans are enjoying yet another unique offering from My11Circle.”

    Speaking about the campaign, The Script Room co-founder Rajesh Ramaswamy (Ramsam) said, “It’s a very simple and fundamental thought. All of us know that India has a crazy following for cricket. And this love and passion often get expressed through what is called ‘fan-giri’. The films are trying to capture this through multiple stories – deewangi for our favourite stars, and deewangi for our favourite game. We are really lucky and super delighted that Abhinay Deo came on board. Only he could’ve captured this madness in the scale and spirit that it finally came out.”

  • Inox to screen ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup matches live

    Inox to screen ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup matches live

    Mumbai: Inox Leisure Ltd, has announced that it will be screening LIVE matches of the ICC Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup 2021 at its multiplexes in all major cities across the country.

    The 7th edition of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup hosted by BCCI in UAE and Oman is beginning on 17 October. The Final is scheduled on 14 November 2021.

    Depending on the market, the multiplex chain will have differential pricing for tickets ranging from Rs. 200 in tier-3 cities to Rs. 500 in metros.

    The multiplex brand is expecting to draw cricket fans in large numbers by offering them an exceptional stadium-like experience of their favourite sport. Inox will showcase all league matches to be played by Team India, along with marquee league matches, the Semi-Finals and the Final.

  • Sony Sports to telecast Women’s Big Bash League on 14 Oct

    Sony Sports to telecast Women’s Big Bash League on 14 Oct

    Mumbai: Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN) is set to telecast the Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) starting on 14 October on Sony Six channels as well as on its OTT platform, SonyLIV.

    The WBBL features eight Indian cricketers including Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Shafali Verma, Radha Yadav, Poonam Yadav, and Richa Ghosh who will participate in a premier women’s cricket league.

    WBBL is among the top watched sporting leagues of Australia. The league comprises eight teams including Sydney Sixers, Sydney Thunder, Adelaide Strikers, Brisbane Heat, Hobart Hurricanes, Melbourne Renegades, Melbourne Stars, and Perth Scorchers. It features top Australian players along with select international players. Five out of the eight teams of WBBL will feature Indian female cricketers.

    The broadcaster has released the schedule for the first week’s games. The first match will be played between Sydney Sixers and Melbourne Stars starting at 2:10 p.m on 14 October. This will be followed by Melbourne Renegades vs Hobart Hurricanes on 16 October at 10:10 a.m and Sydney Thunder vs Adelaide Strikers at 1:35 p.m. On 17 October, Perth Scorchers will face Brisbane Heat at 4:45 a.m followed by Hobart Hurricanes vs Sydney Sixers at 8:10 a.m. Melbourne Stars will be up against Hobart Hurricanes on 19 October at 7:55 a.m followed by Brisbane Heat vs Perth Scorchers at 11:20 a.m. On 20 October, Melbourne Renegades vs Adelaide Strikers will air at 7:55 a.m and Melbourne Stars vs Sydney Sixers will air at 11:20 a.m.

  • Cadbury’s iconic cricket ad gets a contemporary twist

    Cadbury’s iconic cricket ad gets a contemporary twist

    MUMBAI: Confectionary giant Cadbury surprised its consumers on Friday, as it released its iconic 90’s ad – ‘Asli swaad zindagi ka’, albeit with a contemporary twist.

    Decades later, the heartfelt ad remains true to its original idea almost frame-to-frame. There is a nail-biting cricket match in progress, the scoreboard reads ’99 not out’, and the batter is gearing up to face another ball. A young spectator sitting among the crowd of well-dressed audience watches anxiously while biting into a Cadbury’s Dairy milk chocolate bar, muttering a silent prayer as the player goes for a big hit.

    The stadium erupts in joy. Only this time, the cricketer batting at the crease is a woman. The ad released on Friday, showed a young woman cricketer scoring the winning run as her male friend makes a dash towards the field, dodging the security guard. He dances with the unabashed glee reminiscent of the original film, celebrating his friend’s smashing performance, as she watches him in delight and the crowd cheers on.

    The refreshed version of the brand’s iconic campaign, conceptualised by Ogilvy India wishes good luck to the Indian women’s cricket team, with a rousing message of #GoodLuckGirls.

    “It needed a brave client back in 1993 to go ahead with the original Cadbury Cricket film that became so popular. It needed an even braver client to attempt something with an iconic film and make magic out of it. I am delighted that the team at Mondelez and at Ogilvy has made this magic, made it relevant, exciting and so did Cadbury, in its bold and front foot fashion,” said Ogilvy, chairman global creative & executive chairman India, Piyush Pandey.

    The 1994-released Cadbury Dairy Milk campaign directed by Mahesh Mathai, featuring model Shimona Rashi with the memorable jingle ‘Asli Swad Zindagi ka’ is fondly remembered till date. It not only changed the perception that chocolates were only for children but it also broke away from the stereotypical ‘prim and proper’ image towards adulting- appealing to the child in all of us, giving way to an unbridled expression of pure joy. The brand once again succeeds in breaking notions- this time associated with the game once referred to as a ‘gentleman’s game’- while bringing back nostalgia, with a present-day take.

    “The excitement and the stress in our heads were competing with each other. To recreate such a big hit is like setting yourself up for a million opinions. The only reason we went ahead was it felt right and it felt awesome. We loved the idea from our gut. Luckily, so did the client. Hats off to the all-girls team who thought of it and hats off to Bob from Good Morning Films for making it so well,” said Ogilvy India chief creative officers Sukesh, Harshad, and Kainaz, while talking about the latest campaign.

    The film couldn’t have come at a better time with the ‘girls in blue’ all set to compete with the Aussies in the upcoming series against Australia, Down under. Indian women’s cricket is growing in popularity and attracting great interest from viewers and advertisers alike.

    “From acing in the corporate world to winning Olympic medals, women are at the forefront of creating new milestones, every single day, and our film is an ode to each one of them. As a brand that has always promoted gender inclusivity, contemporising an iconic campaign is our way of recognising the changing times and extending support to all the women trailblazers,” said Mondelez India senior director – marketing, Anil Viswanathan. “We hope this film brings back a gush of nostalgia and are confident that this refreshed version will find as much love as the original one.”

    Well-played Cadburys and Ogilvy!

  • MS Dhoni dons the retro jersey look for Zed Black Agarbatti’s new TVC

    MS Dhoni dons the retro jersey look for Zed Black Agarbatti’s new TVC

    Mumbai: Incense sticks manufacturing brand Zed Black has launched its new campaign with brand ambassador M S Dhoni, where he is seen engaging with his audience and reminiscing his demeanor and motivating approach towards youth of the country.

    The campaign is part of the brand’s upcoming lineup of star-studded brand commercials which are aimed at targeting consumers across the nation and giving Zed Black the opportunity to engage the youth for the cause of Prarthna Hogi Sweekar. Along with the existing celebrity ambassador, Hrithik Roshan for Manthan Dhoop, Zed Black will continue to emphasise its hold on the Indian agarbatti sphere, it said in a media statement.

    Conceptualized by Oberoi IBC, the integrated campaign for Zed Black 3-in-1 Agarbatti aims to get India praying to the mantra #prarthnahogisweekar. “Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on 15 August last year and since then his popularity around the world has not diminished. The boy from Ranchi, who made his ODI debut in 2004, who changed the face of Indian cricket with his calm demeanor, sharp understanding of the game, and astute leadership qualities is still reigning the hearts of cricket fans as the pictures in the retro jersey are spreading like wildfire,” said the company.

    MDPH director and partner Ankit Agrawal said, “Zed Black Agarbatti stands as a reflection of its ‘go getter’ spirit, devotion, resilience, belief and prayers. MS Dhoni, who is a staunch believer of tranquil state of mind that helps in focused efforts and better results, complements well with our brand value. Zed Black 3-in-1, which is a market-leader, creates an atmosphere of purity, hope & positivity that helps maintain a balance. Zed Black is elated to give MS Dhoni’s fans a moment to cherish by unveiling the TVC with the retro jersey look exactly after one year since he announced his retirement from International cricket on 15th August.”

    Choreographer-filmmaker Farah Khan has directed Indian cricketer M S Dhoni for this commercial. Dhoni also got a new ‘faux-hawk’ cut from celebrity hair stylist Aalim Hakim which became a topic of discussion on social media. Ace photographer Daboo Ratnani captured all of Dhoni’s looks for the TVC campaign.

    “It’s Zed Black’s journey of hope, success, prayers and innovation that drew me to the brand. To be the face of a brand that sends out a beautiful message like Prarthna Hogi Sweekar, giving people hope and strengthening their beliefs is what resonated with me. Their new campaign is inspiring and motivating,” said M.S Dhoni.

    “Zed Black, has gone beyond just the advertising jingle, with the latest extension of its flagship ‘Prarthna Hogi Sweekar’ campaign being commissioned into mini-shorts indicating the thought that prayers will be answered. The new campaign with M S Dhoni has a moral underpinning that reflects the importance of family praying together, workplace worship, community prayers, the simple love of imparting the habit of praying amongst kids and love for the country”, shared Anshul Agrawal, Director & Partner, MDPH.

    Speaking on the TV Campaign & roping in M S Dhoni, Ad film director & MD, Oberoi IBC India Anand Oberoi said, “I am hopeful that this association will ensure higher brand recall, and eventually create a larger following amongst the masses for Prarthna Hogi Sweekar”.

  • Reigning champions MI to take on CSK when IPL 2021 resumes on 19 Sep

    Reigning champions MI to take on CSK when IPL 2021 resumes on 19 Sep

    New Delhi: Defending champions Mumbai Indians will take on Chennai Super Kings on 19 September when the much-awaited edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 resumes in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

    The cricket league was suspended mid-way after a sudden surge in Covid-19 cases breached the bio-bubble, and infected a few players and support staff.

    “The 14th season, which was postponed in May this year in the wake of the pandemic, will resume on 19 September in Dubai with a blockbuster clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians,” said the Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) in its latest announcement.

    A total number of 31 matches will be played over a period of 27 days including seven doubles headers (five were held in India). In all, 13 matches will be held in Dubai, 10 in Sharjah and 8 in Abu Dhabi.

    “There will be seven double headers (five matches already played in India – total of 12 matches) with the first match starting at 3:30PM IST (2:00PM Gulf Standard Time). All evening matches will start at 7:30PM IST (6:00PM Gulf Standard Time),” added BCCI.

    This year, the official broadcaster Star Sports had also made arrangements to live broadcast the IPL 2021 in eight different languages, and arranged a new virtual set and a myriad of augmented reality graphics to impress audiences who remained under lockdown when the tournament began in April.

    The final league game will be played between RCB and Delhi Capitals on 8 October.


     

  • SonyLIV onboards 50 advertisers for India’s tour of Sri Lanka

    SonyLIV onboards 50 advertisers for India’s tour of Sri Lanka

    New Delhi: After entrancing sports aficionados with Euro 2020, SonyLIV is now set to enthrall millions of cricket fans with India’s tour of Sri Lanka that began on Sunday. The series comprising three ODIs and three T20s will continue till 29 July.

    The matches are being broadcast across six different languages including Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Bengali only on SonyLIV.

    For the high-octane series, SonyLIV has roped in over 50 advertisers including brands like Apple, HUL, Amazon, JSW, TVS, Tata Motors, Amul, Dafanews, CoinDCX, Mobikwik, Cars24, Medibuddy, Bridgestone, Acko General Insurance and GoDigit amongst others. The OTT platform has also locked sponsorship deals with some of the most prominent brands like Vimal, Betway, WazirX, and Swiggy.

    SonyLIV senior vice president and head of ad revenue, Ranjana Mangla said, “We are elated to witness an overwhelming response from our advertising partners for all our sporting events that air on SonyLIV. Following the success of Euro 2020, we have managed to onboard more than 50 advertisers and multiple sponsors for India’s tour to Sri Lanka. Like always, we are committed to providing the best viewing experience for all global sporting events on the platform.”

    The Indian team is led by former India captain Rahul Dravid who has stepped in as coach. Shikhar Dhawan will captain the young side while Bhuvneshwar Kumar will be the vice-captain in the three-match ODI and T20I series.

    The platform is also set to provide comprehensive coverage of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 from 23 July.